Fauna of New Guinea
The island's isolation has caused strange birds and mammals to evolve. There are no apes or monkeys in the rainforests. With no large carnivorous mammals to compete against, birds and reptiles have flourished. There are over 700 species of birds. Just about the only mammals to arrive on the island, were those that could fly. New Guinea supports an amazing variety of bats and is the fruit bat capital of the world. The largest land predators are lizards, which have grown to gigantic proportions. There are 6 species of monitors alone, including the largest which is over 4 meters in length. The rainforests are home to tree kangaroos and birds like the enormous flightless Cassowary and the largest pigeon in the world. Thirty-eight species of birds of paradise attract mates with amazing dancing and their beautiful feathers.
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The Bird of Paradise
The most famous avifauna (a fancy way of saying bird species!) in New Guinea is the bird of paradise. Of the 43 known species of birds of paradise, 38 are found in Papua New Guinea. These brilliantly colored birds do bizarre mating dances. The males are more colorful than the females. They were hunted by early traders for their feathers.
New Guinea is well-known for the beauty, size and variety of its insects especially its butterflies. The beautiful Birdwing butterflies are the largest in the world and only found in this region.
Insects have grown to be monsters, like the foot long stick insect. There are moths the size of dinner plates.
Birds of New Guinea
The Southern Cassowary can get to the size of 1.3 to 1.7 meters tall. They can get up to 60 kg. Their voices are low grunts and a loud mwaaa. They live in steep slopes. They eat fresh fruit.
The
Palm cockatoo can get up the size of 51 to 64 centimeters. Their voices can be
heard very far and very loud. It sounds
like a loud keeyaank,
or eeyohn,
or raah! They
travel 5 to 6 in
a group. They inhabit all parts of the rainforests.They eat
hard seeds and palm nuts.
The
sooty owl is speckled white. It has a weird whistle which
sounds just like a falling bomb. It also has several calls. It is nocturnal and
perches in tree holes and undergrowth and eats rodents.
The common paradise-kingfisher can get up the size of 33 to 34 centimeters. Its voice is soft and musical. These birds live in the forest understory.
Reptiles
![monitor_lizard[1].jpg (12104 bytes)](monitor_lizard1.jpg)
Monitor lizards
Varanus salvadori may grow to about the length of 15 feet from head to the tip of its tail; and is currently recognized as the longest lizard in the world. Like all other Monitor Lizards of the Varandae family, the Salvadori monitor can be distinguished by it's long thin forked tongue; the only other reptiles to share this common trait are snakes. It possess long sharp teeth, which enables it to easily hold its prey within its mouth while climbing up and down trees. Varanus salvadori also have 5 strongly clawed digits on its 4 appendages.Its smooth skin is sought after by natives of Papua New Guinea, for the skin of Kundu Drums. Its head and neck are long, and are both covered by overlapping polygonal shaped scales. The Salvadori monitor also has a particularly long and sturdy tail that may be aptly used in self-defense.
The skin of the Salvadori is predominately black covered with white specks or dots on its body. The most distinguishable aspect of the Salvadori monitor, apart from other members of the Varandae family; are its exceptionally long and sleek body.
Mammals
of New Guinea
Tree kangaroos has soft paws.
Their fur is blackish brown. They have long tails. The tree kangaroo’s life span is not long. It is hunted for its flesh. These
kangaroos live in trees. They are very good
climbers. They eat leaves and fruit that they find on the ground or in
trees.
The three-striped
dasyures live in the lowland rainforests of New Guinea. They are rare, but they are
spread all over the island. They eat food from the forest floor.
(click to enlarge)
The black-tailed
Antechinus: They are found all over the islands of New Guinea. They live in the
primary forest. They breed throughout the year.
The
Agile Wallaby: They are found in
woodlands and grasslands. They eat grassroots, the native figs, and Eucalyptus
leaves. They are common throughout New Guinea and Australia. Breeding occurs throughout
the year. They are hunted by humans.
The
Spotted Cuscus: They are found in
primary and secondary forests. They live on fruit, figs, and acorns. Their
distribution is common throughout New Guinea.
The
Feathertailed possum: They live in disturbed forests and in new regrowth of
forests. They are found in gardens in local villages. They are found all over New Guinea.
The
Great-tailed triok: This is one of New Guinea’s rarest animals. It is found in
rainforest areas. Very little is known about its behavior.
The
Greater tubenosed bat: This is an uncommon specie of New Guinea. They are found
in rainforest and swamp habitats. They have been known to feed on fig trees.
The
lesser tubenosed bat: This is a rare specie found only in a few habitats. They
have spotted wings and short front canines.
The New Guinea pipistrelle: They are a common species. They are found on the coastal and upland regions of New Guinea. They have been found in dry bamboo
.